Antiques and Clandestine Meetings (A Manjiro Sano story) Tokyo Revengers Fanfic

Chapter 34: Recollection

        "Up high!"

        From a top of her father's shoulders, she was on top of the world, there was no place higher. His broad shoulders always carried her up, even when her small feet didn't hurt.

      They were walking by the river in the afternoon. He held a bag of groceries in hand, the other made sure that his daughter didn't fall off. Her chubby little hands were grasping his hair, it was quite long, past his ears and barely touching his shoulders.

      "I can see the world from up here!"

       Karriez giggled childishly, looking around, mesmerized by the sparkling river in colours of the sunset.

       The father and daughter got home to an empty house. Senza had work outside of the city once again. It was quite a common occurrence.

      Araki walked to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal. This time, he promised to make a healthy one instead of simply cooking up instant noodles. It wasn't healthy for his daughter.

       The copper haired girl sat on a high chair on the kitchen table, with crayons in hand and a piece of paper with random scribbles that made sense only to her.

       "How does this work again?

       Wait, do I add the eggs before or after?

       What?! I'm supposed to marinate it?"

       Hearing her father talk to herself, Karriez watched him with wide curious eyes. It was normal for him to talk to himself but even to the three year old, he looked at a loss, grasping at straws for what to do.

      Araki Fadenn was like that, a klutz.

       Karriez closed the door gently and walked inside the house. Shaking the memory. 'It's strange, I remember a lot about my dad but I don't remember his face. What did he look like again?'

       She heard her mother humming and tinkering in the kitchen. Even if it was past midnight.

      She walked to the kitchen with a sullen expression. She saw her mom, with a black apron, stirring a pot. She cleared her throat to catch her mother's attention.

      "Mom..."

      She looked down, with mixed negative feelings she didn't even know she was capable of feeling.

       "I'm sorry I caused trouble."

      Her shoulders were shaking, she blinked the tears away as she bit the inside of her cheek. Then, she heard the soft scraping of slippers and then the stove being turned off.

      That was when she was pulled into her mother's bossom. Her mother's embrace was warmer than anything and it was the most comfortable place in the world.

       The tears she had been holding back came flowing like a dam. The walls she put up to deal with her father's death came crashing down. When one tear fell, the rest followed freely.

       "I'm sorry.... I'm sorry."

       "Shh... It's alright. Mother's here."

         "Mama..."

       Senza had never seen her daughter cry. Not even when her father was buried, of course just because she hasn't seen her poor child cry does not mean she doesn't.

       It was the first time for her to hug her daughter while she cried. Araki's death was so sudden, and brutal.

        It left just mother and daughter to fend for themselves, they were the only family they had left of each other. That night, not only were Araki's paintings stolen but hidden cash, jewelry and important documents, which could be used to extort money was taken.